The Toast Of Gentry Day

If 2014/15 was a write off for Jordan Hugill due to his knee injury, until a late loan spell and being involved in the Play-Offs, 2015/16 has been a season where patience has been the buzz word.

However, when his chance came along of late, he was happy to step into the big shoes of Joe Garner and fill them with aplomb, marking his start on Gentry Day with a brave goal, sticking his head in with Dean Moxey’s boot to send the Lilywhites on their way to a famous victory.

Speaking to the official matchday programme about last month’s derby day victory the North End No.25 was delighted to get his chance and take it.

“It was a brilliant day,” recalled the 23-year-old front man. “We took all the fans to Bolton and they were in full voice during the game – you could hear them all the way through it.

“They would have had a brilliant day out and it was a great day to open my account in the league.

“The gaffer put me in knowing I could do a job with Garns out and I feel I did well and hopefully took my opportunity when I was given it.

“Last year I wasn’t involved too much due to my injury and then I went out on loan in League Two at the end of the year, before coming back to be involved in the Play-Offs. This year for me was all about experiencing my first year in the Championship and getting used to everything I missed out on last year whilst I was injured.

“I knew that I would eventually get a chance.

“I have been chomping at the bit and firing in goals left, right and centre for the reserves and the gaffer had said to me I would get my chance and for me I had to be ready for that chance.

“I had one chance at Huddersfield, which didn’t go quite as well as I hoped it would do, but I was patient, kept my confidence high and then got another chance at Bolton and scored, which was brilliant for me.

“I was close scoring after 15 seconds. It clipped the top of the bar and if that had gone in it would have been a brilliant game for me. I was just happy to get on the scoresheet though and getting the three points was the most important thing, keep us around where we want to be.

“I saw the boot coming, but I was already down for the header. I winced a bit, but made sure I got my head on it and that is part of my game. There aren’t many players these days who enjoy the rough, scrapping side of things who would stick their head in there – although Garns definitely would do! It was me this time though and I was happy it went in and Reachy picked me up and I ran off celebrating.

“I tried to get a hat for the celebration, but I was on the floor for a bit too long and I think there is a mental time of when your celebration should stop and it was a bit too far along to go and get one, however, I managed to get an imaginary tip of the hat in there.”

There are also interviews with Jermaine Beckford, Adam Reach, Tom Clarke and Anders Lindegaard in our latest edition of The One And Only. We also have 11 pages of content about the visitors and much, much more crammed into the 84 pages of perfect bound content – on sale for just £3 from the Tuesday afternoon from the Club’s retail store or inside and outside the ground on match night.

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